Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson (right) and Chlöe Swarbrick (left) have faced a tumultuous parliamentary term with their party. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson (right) and Chlöe Swarbrick (left) have faced a tumultuous parliamentary term with their party. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The Green Party’s director of communications, Louis Day, has resigned just weeks after its now-former chief of staff, Eliza Prestidge-Oldfield, made the same decision.
In an email to journalists, Day said that after taking time off over the parliamentary recess, he felt now was the right time to step away.
“I felt that now was the right time for me to move on from Parliament and take a bit of a break before finding a new challenge for my career.
“I leave with a lot of love for the co-leaders, MPs and party, as well as a lot of hope for the Green movement I have had the privilege of being part of for almost four years now.
“My last day on precinct will be next Thursday, so I will try and make my in-person goodbyes before then.
“I will then be using the remainder of my notice period to tie up some loose ends in the background.
“It has been a pleasure and a privilege working with you all. Hopefully, this won’t be the last you hear from me.”
According to his LinkedIn, Day started his director of communications role in June 2024 after working as a senior press secretary, press secretary and research and policy adviser.
The Greens were already shaken up recently with the departure of Prestidge-Oldfield as their chief of staff.
Greens co-leader Marama Davidson said Prestidge-Oldfield had “decided to step away from the chief of staff position to focus on her health, wellbeing and her whānau”.
Tom Haig, the party’s policy and research director, would be the acting chief of staff until the position was permanently filled.
This is the latest in what has been a tumultuous parliamentary term for the Green Party.
Footage emerged of former Green MP Golriz Ghahraman allegedly stealing a designer handbag from a Ponsonby boutique Scotties.
Tana’s ties to the alleged exploitation remained murky, but it prompted her to split from the Greens before being kicked out of Parliament after her party used the waka-jumping legislation it had previously opposed.
Chlöe Swarbrick has been co-leader of the Greens since March 2024. Photo / Mark Mitchell
In the same month Tana’s suspension occurred, Chlöe Swarbrick rose to become the party’s co-leader beside Marama Davidson, replacing James Shaw, who in turn retired from politics in May of last year.
Celebrations of his career were cut short, though, after MP Julie Anne Genter was referred to Parliament’s Privileges Committee for displaying intimidatory behaviour towards Government minister Matt Doocey.
Co-leader Davidson revealed in June 2024 that she was beginning treatment for breast cancer and would step away from politics to focus on her recovery, but has since returned to normal duties.
More recently, New Zealand’s first non-binary MP, Benjamin Doyle, suddenly resigned in September after controversial old Instagram posts were unearthed which resulted in death threats against them.
Green Party MP Benjamin Doyle resigned from Parliament in September. Photo / Mark Mitchell
In their valedictory speech, Doyle described Parliament as being “the colonisers’ house”, built on “exclusion and control, on taking, hoarding, and guarding power”.
“This place is hostile and toxic, especially if you are not a cis straight white man with a blue suit and a briefcase, but most of all, it is not fit for purpose,” Doyle said.
